I recommend something festive and impressive, but not difficult to prepare. Try one of my favorites. I like these classics accompanied with a little extra Southern appeal: "real" ice cream.

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Enjoying a passion for Southern cooking since childhood, Stephania Causey enrolled in First Coast Technical College's School of Culinary Arts in August. With a desire to learn professional food service techniques, partnered with a friend's coaxing and confidence-building, this mother of an 11-year-old son, Cameron, decided to launch a new career.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Add milk eggs to blender and combine. Add the flour ½ cup at a time, blending after each addition to ensure there are no lumps. Add pinch of salt and melted butter. Blend for 30 seconds until you achieve a smooth, silky consistency. Set aside in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to rest.

After batter has rested, dip a paper towel in butter and grease a small frying pan.

Ladle a spoonful of batter into the pan. With a flick of the wrist, swivel the pan in order to achieve a nice, even coating all over. A good crepe should be paper-thin. Cook on high heat and flip it over when you see the edge turning brown.

Remove crepes from pan, fold in half and press into a muffin tray to form little cup-like shapes.

Bake "crepe cups" in hot oven for 10 to 12 minutes until slightly crispy and brown around the edges. The middle should remain spongy and light.

To assemble, place each cup in center of plate and place a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream in the cup. Spoon desired amount of cherries over the ice cream.

Cherries Jubilee

Cook time: 10 minutes

6 to 8 servings

½ stick butter

º cup sugar

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 (16-oz.) can pitted cherries

º cup brandy

½ cup pecans

Real vanilla bean ice cream

Drain cherries, reserving all the juice. Melt butter in a saute pan. Stir in cornstarch and sugar until smooth. Gradually stir in the reserved cherry juice. The mixture will thicken up. Add pecans. When it boils, pour in the brandy and turn off the heat. Light the brandy in the pan with a long lighter. When the flame dies down, stir in the cherries and serve over ice cream.